Research over the past thirty years has shown that therapy is effective around 80% of the time. This means that about 80% of the time, people who start out with a problem are better off from having undergone therapy than are people who have a problem and do not access therapy[1].

What this means is: effective therapy needs to be focused on you: your strengths, your resources, what you find helpful, and building your hope and expectancy that things can change.

Effective therapy also needs to be relationship focussed: we need to make sure that the relationship between us is working really well . Through the kind of relationship we forge together on our journey, your determination and courage, and my experience, we work out how to reach your goals. Every day I see people do amazing things with their lives. I see feats of courage, ingenuity, determination and strength.

Ultimately, when you’re abseiling, when you’re on the side of the precipice it matters how you feel about the person you’re tied to in addition to the level of skill and experience they possess! That means that you need to tell me what I’m doing that works for you and also what it is that doesn’t work. That way I have a chance to make adjustments quickly and hopefully, help you get the outcomes you want faster.

What constitutes change is different for different people. Some people come to therapy wanting some adjustments in their situation or how they feel about some aspect of their life and they are content with the result if this is the outcome. They mostly like their life the way it is – they just want to tweak some things. Others want more out of life and know that their life holds the potential to give them much deeper satisfaction in all aspects. Depending on what it is you see as ‘change’ and how badly you want it, you will get out of therapy what you put into it.

If you are ready to be honest and really look at things as they are, if you are willing to take the risk to try new things, hear difficult things, face your fears, risk the disapproval of others, reach for what you think will make your heart sing, stand up for what you really believe in, question and maybe let go of beliefs and behaviours that are no longer serving you, then you may be amazed at what you can achieve.

I rejoice in seeing people give themselves the kind of lives they have always wanted to have and I feel privileged that they have chosen to undertake this process with me. It inspires and reinforces me to do the same in my own life.

[1] Lambert, MJ and Bergin, AE (1994) “The effectiveness of psychotherapy”, In A.E. Bergin and S.L.Garfield (Eds.), Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behaviour Change (4^th ed., pp.143-189). New York: Wiley. See also, Hubble, M.A., Duncan, B.L., and Miller, S.D. (1999). The Heart and Soul of Change: What Works in Therapy. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.

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